The present invention relates to improvements in a soft x-ray generator. U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,163 discloses a soft x-ray (also referred to as EUV) electromagnetic radiation source which provides improved short bursts of radiation in the about 75 ev to about 12 Kev range. These bursts of radiation have a maximum intensity for use in a variety of applications, including lithography, crystallography, and radiography, in the scientific, industrial, and medical fields. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,163 is incorporated herein by reference. Although the system disclosed in the '163 patent represents a vast improvement over prior art soft x-ray generators, there remains a need for a system which has a longer useful life under continuous high frequency operating conditions by preventing, for example, erosion of the anode as well as having a more predictable and reliable trigger operation for initiating the discharge between the anode and cathode for such continuous operation.